AT&T GigaPower Takes On Google Fiber In Kansas City

As Google announced their Fiber service would come to Austin, AT&T made a move to compete with Google for Fiber supremacy in west Texas. Now, AT&T is heading to the place where the gigabit Internet race started: Kansas City. AT&T is readying their GigaPower Internet for Kansas City and surrounding communities, the company said in a blog post. Those in Kansas City, Leawood, Lenexa, Olathe, and Overland Park can now experience non-Google Internet at a blazing fast speed, and for the same price Google charges — but there's a catch.

For $70/month, customers can get 1Gbps Internet, which "includes waiver of equipment, installation and activation fees, and a three year price guarantee." Add on TV, and you'll get HBO for free — for three years. That's AT&T's $120 option.

For $30, you can add unlimited voice calling to the U-verse/TV package, which brings your total to $150.

So what's the catch? AT&T is making tracking a default part of their plans. That $70/month gigabit Internet also allows AT&T to track the webpages you visit, as well the time you spend viewing them. AT&T will also have access to the links or ads you check out, as well as what you search for.

If you want AT&T to not spy on you, it's an additional $29/month. Google doesn't monitor you as AT&T does, but it's worth noting they keep an eye on you via services you're logged into.

Source: AT&T